Junction-board.



JUNCTION BOARD.

APPLIGATION FILED JAN. 21, 1913.

Patented Dec. 29, 1914.

70 WWW H0 H0 H0 0 um um 1H0 1H0 HAO nU "HE NORRIS PETERS C0,, PHOTO-LITH UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

EEREWARI) M. MACK AND WALLACE P. ANDR'IGK, on NEW YORK, 1v. Y., VA'SSIGNORS T0 GENERAL ACOUSTIC COMPANY, A CORPORATION on NEW YORK.

JUNCTION-BOARD.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 29, 1914.

\ Application filed January 21, 1913. Serial 'No. 743,248.

To all whom it may concern:

. provide a junction-board which is adapted to be attached to a wall or "a like supporting structure and which shall be cheaper to construct than the devices heretofore used and by means of which the connections and disconnections can be more rapidly and effectively made and in which the abutting ends of the "cables are disposed in such a manner as to avoid confusion, misidentificati'on and cross or short-circuiting of the wires. Y I

A further object is to provide a construction of junction-board which can be built up in sections to any desired size or capacity, such a board having the advantage that it requires no more screws or other attaching devices to support it in place than does a smaller board.

The invention consists of the structural details which will now be particularly pointed out and claimed. v

In the accompanying drawing, Figure 1 is a longitudinal section of our improved junction-board with its protecting housing,

the section being taken on the line 11 of Fig. 2; Fig. 2 is a plan of the junctionboard with a part broken away-and with the housing in horizontal section, and Fig. 3 is a transverse-section of the junction-board and its housing, together with the cable ends and conductors therein, taken on line 83 of Fig. 2. The junction-board proper consists of a base or board 1 which, depending upon its required capacity, may comprise. one or more sections placed together, end to end, as indicated at the line of joinder 2, any suitable mechanical device being used to secure the sections together. The devicewe haveshown consists of two pins-3-3, which are anchored in the end of one section and pass into corresponding holes or sockets L in the other section. The pins fit frictiontight in the sockets so as to form a rigid joint between the parts. Obviously, any number of such sections may be connected together in the same manner to form one large board of any required capacity. The

looardof whatever size is provided on its under side at each end with metallic strips 5 secured thereto by screws 6, the strips having downwardly bent ends 7 and out wardly turned feet 8, which are adapted to rest, upon the; wall or other support to which the vboard is to be secured, for which purpose securing screws will pass through the perforations 9 in the feet portions 8. Thus, the board is held in spaced relation to its support, the purpose of which is to provide room for the two cable ends entering from the respective ends of the board, the wires of which are to be interconnected by means of the devices on the board.

The board'or base 1 will generally be of elongated rectangular shape, and be made-of wood, fiber, hard rubber, or other suitable insulating material. Along its two longitudinal edges are formed the notches 10, arranged successively at short andequal distances apart and throughout practically the entire length of the board. These notches are of rectangular formation, extending through the board from top to bottom, and

those on one edge are arranged directly opposite or in line, respectively, with those on the opposite edge. On the under face of the board, these notches are connected together in pairs by transverse grooves ll. In each of these grooves is seated the middle portion of a U-shaped metallic connector 12 the arms of which pass through perforations in the base 1 and project beyond the upper or outer face of the base a short distance where they are turned inward toward each other to form a kind of hook 13. These connectors are preferably made of stiff wire of such siz'e as to lie below the surface of the without any extraneous fastening means. These connectors are located regularly along the middle of the board and since they occupy the grooves connecting the edge notches together, there will be one connector in the same plane with each pair of the notches 10.

To establish the connections between the wires of the two cable ends, the latter are passed longitudinally under the respective ends of the board and parallel to each other. \Vhen thus disposed the wires of each cable are fanned out and those wires in the two cables which are to be connected together are carried upward or outward through two of the notches 10 on opposite edges of the board which correspond or are in line with each other, as indicated, for instance, by the two wires 14 and 15 in Fig. Then they are bent inward toward the hooks 13, and cut off at the proper length to engage with said hooks; then the ends of the wire are stripped and bent around said hooks respectively, after which a drop of solder is applied to each hook to secure the wire thereto. Thus the electrical connection is established between the two wires of the two cable ends through the intermediacy of the U-shaped connector. All of the other wires in the two cable ends are correspondingly connected together, one of the U-shaped connectors being appropriated for each pair of wires. To disconnect any of the wires, it is only necessary to apply a hot iron to the hooks for an instant to melt the solder.

In most forms of junction-boards heretofore in use, the wires are held by some form of binding screw which, on account of the metallic parts necessarily associated with such devices, is more expensive than the structure we have provided. Furthermore, binding screws occupy more space than the hooked connectors herein provided and not only can fewer of them be placed in a given space, but the metallic parts are liable to be mounted in such close proximity to each other on account of their size as to render short and cross circuits likely. In no other junction-board known to us are the cable ends disposed behind the board itself; they are usually secured to the wall adiacent the board or to the face of the board itself by means of staples. Such disposition of the wires necessarily gives rise to confusion and requires more time and care in making the connections. In our construction, the two wires which are to be connected are at once separated from the others as soon as they have been deposited in the edge notches and there is no danger of confusing them with others when they are so disposed, since all of the other wires are either already connected to the hooks or remain behind the board. Inasmuch as that portion of the connectors which lies in the groove 11 on the under face of the base 1 is below the surface of the base, it cannot come in contact with any of the wires in the cable ends and even if this did occur, it would ordinarily do no harm, since the wires are insulated. Cross and short-circuits are therefore not to be expected in this device, either above or below the face of the board. When the connections are all made, the board is covered by the housing 16, which is an ordinary box having one side open with the ends pro vided with passages 17 to accommodate the cables. This housing is held in position by screws 18 which pass down through the ends f the base 1 and into the metallic plates 5 secured thereto.

lVhat we claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States, 1s

1. The combination with a pair of cable ends containing electrical wires to be connected together, of a junction board for electrically connecting said wires, said board comprising a plate of insulating material adapted to be secured to a wall or like supporting structure and supporting means therefor spacing said plate from said supporting structure, the pair of cable ends being positioned in the space between said plate and its supporting structure; alining notches in the opposite side edges of the board; integral U-shaped connectors having their middle portions located adjacent the rear face of the board and their arms passing through and projecting beyond the front face of the board, the arms of a pair of connectors and a pair of alining notches being arranged in alinement with each other, wh reby the wires of the respective cables may be passed up through said notches and attached to the connectors on the front face of the board.

A junction board for connecting the ends of the electrical wires in a pair of cables comprising a plate of insulating material, supporting members for said plate spacing said plate from its supporting structure. a plurality of alining transverse notches in the opposite side edges of said board; integral U-shaped connectors having their middle portions resting against the rear face of the plate and their arms passing through perforations in the plate and proiecting beyond the front face of the plate; said connectors fitting snugly in said perforations to maintain them in fixed relation to the base. the arms of said connectors being arranged in line with the correspond ngnotches in the edges of the plate. I 3. The combination with a pair of cable ends containing electrical wires to be connected together. of a unction board for electrically connecting said wires. said board comprising a plate of insulating material adapted to be secured to a wall or like supporting structure and supporting means therefor spacing said plate from its supportalining of connectors and a pair of'alining notches being arranged in alinement with each other, whereby the wires of the respective cable ends may be passed up through said notches and attached to the connectors on the front face of the board.

In witness whereof, we subscribe our signatures, in the presence of two witnesses.

HEREWARD M. MACK. WALLACE P. ANDRICK.

Witnesses EDGAR JONES, H. W. Horn.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents.

Washington, D. C. 

